Abstract: Vehicle diagnostic methods and systems are provided for providing predictive step-by-step troubleshooting guidance. One method involves determining a sequence of recommended troubleshooting actions for resolving a potential fault condition associated with a diagnostic code based at least in part on a vehicle component associated with the diagnostic code and metadata associated with the vehicle using historical diagnostics data and sequentially providing, within a client application at a client device, graphical indicia of the recommended troubleshooting actions in accordance with the sequence based on a respective probability of resolution associated with the respective recommended troubleshooting actions based at least in part on the historical diagnostics data.

Abstract: A thermally conductive bracket is contemplated for use in a vehicle to facilitate transfer heat from a busbar to a cold plate, such as to assist with heat transfer to a cold plate used to act as a heat sink for a plurality of battery cells connected to the busbar. The bracket may include a thermally conductive heat transfer material shaped to receive the busbar where at least a portion of the material is configured to include opposed sides and a bottom such that the opposed sides are configured to transfer heat from the busbar to the bottom and the bottom is configured to transfer heat from the sides to the cold plate.

Abstract: A tester for testing an electrical component. The tester includes a database of testing specifications for electrical components, a tester connector for physically and electrically connecting to different electrical components, and an output device. The tester identifies an electrical component connected to the tester connector and provide corresponding identification data, retrieves a testing specification from the database using the identification data, commands a test of the electrical component according to the testing specification, and outputs an indication of a result of the test through the output device.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrode for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The electrode includes a silicon-containing electroactive material, a first carbon additive having a first aspect ratio greater than or equal to about 1 to less than or equal to about 3, a second carbon additive having a second aspect ratio greater than or equal to about 3 to less than or equal to about 500, and a third carbon additive having a third aspect ratio greater than or equal to about 20 to less than or equal to about 10,000. The electrode includes between about 80 wt. % and about 97 wt. % of the silicon-containing electroactive material, between about 0.5 wt. % and about 15 wt. % of the first carbon additive, between about 0.1 wt. % and about 15 wt. % of the second carbon additive, and between about 0.01 wt. % and about 5 wt. % of the third carbon additive.

Abstract: A vehicle including recyclable cast aluminum alloy components. The recyclable cast aluminum alloy components include a vehicle body component and a vehicle chassis component. In combination, the recyclable cast aluminum alloy components include, by mass: silicon in an amount greater than or equal to about 6% to less than or equal to about 11%, magnesium in an amount less than or equal to about 0.5%, iron in an amount greater than or equal to about 0.15% to less than or equal to about 0.25%, manganese in an amount less than or equal to about 0.3%, and greater than or equal to about 88% aluminum. A recycled aluminum alloy component may be cast from a melt of the recyclable cast aluminum alloy components. The recyclable cast aluminum alloy components account for, by mass, greater than or equal to about 70%, about 80%, or about 90% of the recycled aluminum alloy component.

Abstract: A system for detection and reporting of data signal interference includes a plurality of vehicles. Each vehicle includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver receiving a GNSS signal, a cellular modem configured for sending and receiving data over a wireless communication network, and a computerized detection and reporting controller. The controller includes programming to monitor the GNSS signal, analyze the GNSS signal to identify a presence of radio frequency (RF) interference, and generate a report of an RF interference event to a remote server device based upon the presence of the interference. The system further includes the server device including programming to monitor the report of the interference event from each of the vehicles, identify a threshold RF interference event based upon the report of the RF interference event from each of the plurality of vehicles, and command a remedial action based upon the threshold RF interference event.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a steel alloy sheet to enhance flatness. The method includes, inter alia, heating a steel alloy material to a first temperature that is greater than a full-austenitization point for the steel alloy material; holding steel alloy material at the first temperature for a period greater than or equal to about 1 second to less than or equal to about 10,000 seconds to from a precursor steel sheet; air quenching the precursor steel sheet to a second temperature that is less than the first temperature and greater than martensitic transformation starting temperature for the steel alloy material; and cooling the precursor steel sheet to room temperature to prepare the steel alloy sheet. The steel alloy material includes greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 6 wt. % of chromium.

Abstract: An all-solid-state electrochemical cell is provided. The electrochemical cell includes an electrode having a current collector that defines a major axis, and an electroactive material layer disposed on or adjacent to the current collector. The electroactive material layer includes a plurality of hierarchical silicon columns, and a solid sulfide electrolyte. The solid sulfide electrolyte is formed in-situ and fills greater than or equal to about 60 vol. % to less than or equal to about 100 vol. % of voids in the electroactive material layer. The voids being defined by openings between the hierarchical silicon columns. A longest dimension of each hierarchical silicon columns is perpendicular to the major axis of the second current collector.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming an extruded billet from a coarse-grained magnesium alloy billet. The method includes extruding the coarse-grained magnesium alloy biller at temperatures greater than or equal to about 300° C. to less than or equal to about 360° C. to from the extruded billet. The coarse-grained magnesium alloy billet has an average grain size greater than or equal to about 800 ?m, and has a low aluminum content. The coarse-grained magnesium alloy billet includes greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 3 wt. % of aluminum. The extruded billet may have a plurality of twins with lenticular morphology, which occupies an area fraction greater than or equal to about 20% of a total area of the extruded billet.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting contact between a manufacturing apparatus and an article being worked upon by the manufacturing apparatus. Vehicles that include the article are also provided. The system includes the manufacturing apparatus configured to perform a process on the article, a signal transmitter configured to apply an input signal to the article with during the process such that the input signal is conducted through the article, a signal receiver configured to monitor a first component of the manufacturing apparatus to detect conduction of the input signal through the first component with during the process, and a signal processor configured to determine whether contact has occurred between the first component of the manufacturing apparatus and the article based on the detection of the input signal by the signal receiver.

Abstract: A system according to the present disclosure includes an actuator control module and a damping ratio module. The actuator control module is configured to control an actuator of a vehicle to cause the vehicle to perform a yaw maneuver by rotating about its yaw axis. The damping ratio module is configured to determine a damping ratio based on an operating parameter measured during the yaw maneuver. The operating parameter includes at least one of a yaw rate of the vehicle, a yaw rate of a trailer connected to the vehicle, a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, a lateral acceleration of the trailer, a heading angle of the vehicle, and a hitch angle between a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the trailer.

Abstract: A housing for a battery pack of a vehicle is described herein. The housing includes a lateral baseplate, a central longitudinal baseplate, and at least one bracket. The lateral baseplate is configured to extend in a lateral direction of the vehicle and attach to a front cradle of the vehicle rearward of left and right body mount seats on the front cradle. The central longitudinal baseplate is configured to extend in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and attach to the lateral baseplate. The at least one bracket is configured to connect the central longitudinal baseplate to the lateral baseplate and to form an angle with the lateral baseplate that is greater than 40 degrees.

Abstract: Radiant heating systems for warming an occupant of an enclosed space. The system includes a component with a surface that faces the occupant. The surface defines an A-surface quality meaning the surface is visible and is designed with styling objectives to have an aesthetic appearance. Conductive strands are exposed at the surface and a power supply supplies electric power to the conductive strands. A controller controls the electric power supplied to the conductive strands.

Abstract: A system comprises a processor and a memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor to estimate a rack force for a steering system of a vehicle based on current driving and environmental conditions and estimate a health of an actuator of the steering system of the vehicle. The instructions configure the processor to estimate maximum achievable angle, velocity, and acceleration for the actuator of the steering system based on the estimated rack force and the estimated health of the actuator. The instructions configure the processor to provide to the steering system a path planned for the vehicle based on the estimated maximum achievable angle, velocity, and acceleration for the actuator of the steering system.

Abstract: A battery system includes a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) having battery cells, and a battery controller network configured to execute two-level logic to detect a thermal runaway condition. The network includes RESS-embedded cell monitoring units (CMUs) electrically connected to a respective cell group, and measuring and wirelessly transmitting cell data. A battery control module (BCM) is in communication with the CMUs. Thermal runaway sensors are mounted on the CMUs and/or the BCM. A master controller connected to the BCM includes a thermal runaway detection algorithm configured to detect a thermal runaway condition occurring within the RESS. The BCM uses data from the CMUs and thermal runaway sensors to execute first logic level which determines when to wake up the master controller. The master controller, in response to receipt of a wakeup signal, executes a second logic level to execute the algorithm.

Abstract: A vehicle seat mountable in a vehicle, in accordance with a non-limiting example includes a seat back and a seat base connected to the seat back. The seat base includes a first side bolster and a second side bolster, and a selectively deployable air bag mounted in one of the first side bolster and the second side bolster.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a permanent magnet for a rotor of an axial flux electric machine is described herein. The method includes forming multiple permanent magnet (PM) pieces to have the same shape. Each of the PM pieces has an inner radial surface, an outer radial surface, and a pair of side surfaces extending between the inner and outer radial surfaces. The method further includes attaching at least one of the side surfaces of each of the PM pieces to one of the side surfaces of another one of the PM pieces to form partitions configured to extend in a radial direction of the rotor.

Abstract: A fastening assembly includes a panel defining an aperture, a fastener having a head, a shaft portion extending from the head, and a recess formed in the head, and a sacrificial primary anode insert disposed in the recess. The sacrificial primary anode insert is configured to corrode at a rate faster than a corrosion rate of the fastener.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle infotainment system that adds background sounds to an outgoing call on a mobile device. The infotainment system comprises: i) a database of selectable augmenting audio signals; and ii) audio processing circuitry configured to receive at a first input an uplink signal from the infotainment system and receive at a second input a selected augmenting audio signal. The audio processing circuitry adapts a spectrum of the first selected augmenting audio signal to prevent the selected augmenting audio signal from masking the uplink signal and combines the adapted selected augmenting audio signal and the uplink signal to produce an augmented uplink signal at an output.